What’s it like in France?

Hi 2blackcats we live over here and campsites are open although to date have not seen any GB Motorhomes or Cars & Caravans yet but plenty of Dutch and French outfits around our small roads met a large Motorhome yesterday on our way to do some shopping and on a narrow road thankfully in my small car so they passed ok.

Masks are mandatory on shops shopping centres basically anywhere inside public places and wearing one into a restaurant but once seated you can take the masks off, and folk are obeying the mask rule more now since it came in Monday this week. This next week will be busy as the French are on their summer holidays so the roads will be busy.

No issues with the locals and you will notice some changes as more folk are paying with contactless cards more rather than cash, but the French still use cheque to pay with so some prefer that to using a card especially the older generation.

A lot of local fetes and vide greniers(boot sales) have been cancelled also some of the evening local events that include food which is a shame.

Hope you have a good trip and holiday.

We are hoping to get away in September with the caravan but not going far about 60 miles from here and looking forward to getting away although we have had a few nights in the caravan parked in the garden.

Perhaps the link to the following thread is of some help although it's an account of our trip there with the caravan a couple of weeks ago and our starting point was already on the Continent.

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-together/discussions/sites-touring/overseas-sites-touring/first-time-abroad-since-covid-19/

Things may have changed slightly since then.

We have been here since 6th July and it has been fantastic. Travelling on the roads has been quiet. Campsites away from the coast are not busy. There is no queueing to get into supermarkets and people are being sensible.  People are friendly and glad to see us.  Our trip should have started in mid-May so the last 3 weeks have been a bonus and we will be sorry to have to return home next week. 

I have just worked out why I detest Caravan Club sites so much. Compared to French sites especially the Municipal Sites the Caravan Club sites have no character and are soulless, regimented car parks

Thanks for the update, Prescot46. We were resigned to missing our trip to France this year, but have been tempted to re think over the last week or so. We would love a couple of weeks down in Provence near Malaucene, we normally stay on an Aire Naturelle so we know it would be quiet and social distancing would not be a problem. We don't tend to use restaurants or bars and presumably supermarkets would be similar to England? I would love to hear from anybody who has ventured to France over the last few days. Do you feel welcome, how were the ferries, would you recommend that we follow??!!

We would especially like to hear from any one in the La Croix Valmer, Cavalaire sur Mer area please.

We are coming to the end of our third week and there have been no problems whatsoever in driving and camping with an English registration and a Northern Irish accent.  The only problem has been the mandatory mask in shops, the camp reception etc it muffles the words and I find I am having to repeat myself.  People and tourists are wandering about as normal.  If you are careful and maintain a discreet distance and sanitise your hands regularly there is no problem.  Today, at about 3 p.m. the large supermarket we stopped at for groceries and fuel was all but deserted. Plenty of room to social distance.  Traffic on the roads, especially the non-toll roads is pleasurably light and the 80km speed limit is a joy.  Sitting high in a motorhome there is more time to take in the surroundings.  I am more concerned about coming back to England than travelling here.  We used Eurotunnel and sat in our van with a cup of tea.  My advice - get yourself over here and enjoy the sunny weather, the wine and slow pace of life.

What's it like ? Well, the dockers  are on strike again at St Malo. The overnight ferry from Portsmouth arrived on time this morning - no one could disembark,  so the ferry has turned round and gone off to Cherbourg instead. Normality has returned !